Tactical Roles and Secondary Effects

A long, long time ago I arbitrarily determined the basic rock-beats-scissors organization of the tactical roles, with harriers beating seekers, beating trappers, beating keepers, beating chargers (and around and about we go forever). I always intended for some connections between adjacent roles, and now I have them.

Harriers and Chargers occupy the “First Strike” (mentioned in Chassis Strategy) section of the tactical turntable. Of all the roles, they’re most likely to have powers keyed to the first round of combat – bonuses to attack, damage, and so forth.

Chargers and Keepers occupy the “Second Wind” portion of the board, being among the most durable roles – making them ideal for rushing enemy lines or holding ground. Second Wind triggers when they might fall in combat, making it a reliable holdout.

Keepers and Trappers make the best use of “Action Surges,” which are the most flexible and tactical of secondary effects, being usable at any point in combat for enabling any basic powers. Everyone gets ’em, but these roles use ’em best.

Trappers and Seekers are in the ideal situation to make the most of “Kill Skills,” making them the ideal finishers of foes. They owe this to their respective tactical philosophies of “Divide and Conquer” and “Seek and Destroy.”

Seekers and Harriers have the most options for exploiting “Critical Hits,” which are those times when maximizing the results of Accuracy also maximize the results of Precision. Harriers and Seekers do this in their role as skirmishers.

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Understand that the basic function of these secondary traits – critical hits, action surges, and so forth – are available to every character. The roles merely provide different incentives to use them. For example, critical hits are best for those characters who are granted lots of attacks and roll lots of dice.

When you combine these secondary attributes with the advantages assigned to the tactical roles, each role becomes wholly unique. They become unique as they are a combination of shared traits, by inclusion, as opposed to uncommon traits, or exclusivity. What makes them unique is what they have in common.